Fabric-cutting knife



April 22, 1924. 1,491.614

H. M. MILLER FABRIC CUTTING KNIFE Filed April 5, 1923 6/ 4H! llilih atmmq Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

o re FABRIC-CUTTING; KNIFE.

Application filed April 3, 1923. Serial No. 629,638.

To all whom it may GOflCfi/IL! Be it known that I, PIENRY M. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mad ison, in the county of Bonne, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric-Cutting Knives; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cutting'devices and particularly to devices designed for cutting cloth.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will cut cloth more rapidly than scissors, and which is more easily handled than are scissors.

Another object is to provide a device of this character wherein is provided means for cleaning out any small bits of cloth, or ravelings which might cling to the blade, as it is pushed through the cloth.

A further object is to provide a cutting knife of this character which will automatically close, so that danger of cutting the fingers of the operator, while the device is not being used, is eliminated.

Other objects and advantages will heapparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a knife made in accordance with the invention, and shown in operative position, with relation to the cloth and the hand of the operator.

Fig. 2. is a vertical longitudinal central sectional View through the device, showing the blade in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device showing the clean-out opening for the ravelings and bits of cloth which might cling to the blade of the knife, as the same is pushed through the cloth.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents a shank having an ofiset handle or grip portion 11, at one end, for the hand of the operator. Formed longitudinally in. the upper longer edge face of the shank is a groove 12, the samehaving its outer end terminating short of the end of the shank, and inclined upwardly and outwardly toward saidend. Seated within a recess 13, in the inner end of the bottom wall of the groove 12, is a coil spring 14.

V Disposed longitudinally in the groove 12 is I vated above the side walls of the groove. and

is arranged to be depressed by the thumb of the operator, to cause the elevation of the outer end of the blade. The spring normally rocks the blade so that its outer cutting end is depressed within the groove, and thereby out of the way of the fingers of the operator, so that there will be no danger of cutting the fingers, while the knife is lying on the table, and not in use. Upon reference to the section View, Fig. 2, it will be seen that, when the inner end of the blade shank is depressed, that it will contact with the bottom wall of the groove, and thereby stop the pivotal movement of the knife blade, with the result that the cutting edge 15, which is directed inwardly toward the bottom of the groove, will stand at an acute angle with relation to the corresponding portionof the upper edge face of the shank 10, and it is between this portion of the shank 10, and the edge 15, that the cloth is placed, while the operator grasps the handle and oushes the device through the cloth. The blade thus evenly and smoothly cuts the cloth, without any cramping of the fingers or hand of the operator, as is encountered in the use of scissors.

In the lower face of the outer end of the shank 10 there is formed a longitudinally extending opening 17 and through this opening any small bits of cloth, which might cling to the blade, may escape or be readily extracted. This obviates-therenioval ofthe blade from the groove, when the device is to be cleaned. When, however, the blade is to be sharpened, it isnecessary to remove the blade, and to provide for this, the pivot 16 is in the form of a screw which may be easilyremoved.

What is claimed is:

A cloth cutting device comprising a shank having a handle at one end offset out of the plane of the shank. the upper portion of the shank having a longitudinally extending groove, with an elongated opening in the outer end portion of the bottom of the groove and letting through the lower portion of the In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, shank, and a blade disposed longitudinally 1n the presence of two witnesses. in the groove and having a cutting edge extending obliquely with respect to the end of HENRY M. MILLER. the blade and with the groove, the heel of Witnesses: said cutting edge being disposed within said ALVIN HALL,

opening. C. M- HALL. 

